Space heater



Dec. 16, 1947. E. E. MAURER SPACE HEATER Filed ma 31, 1946 V INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 16, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPACE HEATER Elmer E.Maurer, Cleveland, Ohio Application May 31, 1946, Serial No. 673,551

4 Claims.

1 This invention relates to what are known as space heaters, which areself-contained, portable, and are usually employed for the heating of asingle enclosed space, such as a room of a building.

It is the general object of the invention to provide a heater of thischaracter which is particularly light in weight, cheap in constructionand capable of efficiently heating a relatively large room orcompartment in which it may be located. In the embodiment of myinvention shown and described herein, the heat which is delivered to thespace within which the heater is located is generated by raising to asuitable temperature a liquid enclosed in a tubular receptacle and whichreceptacle is provided with radiating plates or fins, with means forheating the liquid by a thermostatically-controlled electrical heatingelement, and with means for circulating the liquid from one end to theother thereof, and being also provided with an expansion tube and asafety valve.

Referring to the drawing, which shows the present preferred embodimentof my invention, In denotes the body of the receptacle, which is shownin the form of a tube provided throughout the major extent of its lengthwith radiating fins or plates ll secured thereto (as by welding) andshown as projecting at right angles with respect to the axis thereof.What will be referred to as the front end of the tube is threaded intothe rear horizontal branch 12 of a four-way coupling, indicatedgenerally at l2. A plug l3, which supports one end of a tube l4enclosing an electrical resistance I5, is connected to the oppositehorizontal branch l2 of the coupling by means of an adapter sleeve l6,threaded at its outer end upon the threaded end of the plug l3 andhaving an external thread l6 by means of which it is threaded into thebranch l2. The heating element comprising the plug l3, tube l4 andresistance I5, is of the type known to the trade as Calrod, wherein theresistance Wire is embedded within a non-conductor, such as magnesiumoxide, whereby the wires will not be short-circuited by contact with thetube I4.

I! and i8 denote wires connected to a plug l9 which wires are connectedto opposite ends of the resistance. The wire from the remote end of theresistance is led through a cord 20 to a well known type ofthermostatically controlled switch in the casing 2|, which casing issupported by the vertical branch II. of the connector l2, as by means ofa bracket 2| having a flange 2| adapted to be received between the topof the branch l2 and the bottom of a hexagonal flange 25 on a plug 25.The switch is actuated in this case by a fluid-expansion thermostatcomprising a container 22 for the fluid, which is located within theheater tube l0 and from which a tube 23 extends into operative relationto a diaphragm (not shown) by which the switch is operated. The tube 23is located within a plug 24 the lower end of which is threaded into theupper end of an adapter plug 25, the lower end of which is threaded intothe vertical branch l2 of the coupling l2. The plug 24 and the adapterplug are provided with bores for the reception of the tube 23. Thethermostatic switch, being of a well known construction, needs noillustration.

26 denotes a four-way coupling, similar to the coupling 12 into the rearhorizontal branch 26 whereof the rear end of the tube I0 is threaded.The opposite horizontal branch 26 has threaded thereinto an elbow-likeextension of the said tube comprising a short tubular connection 21threaded into the branch 26* and into a coupling sleeve 28, there beinga short elbow 29 threaded into the opposite end of the sleeve, the upperend of the elbow being provided wtih a plug 30 by the removal of whichthe heater may be filled with liquid and the plug being in turn providedwith a venting valve 3 I.

32 denotes a circulating tube one end of which is connected with thelower vertical branch 26 of the connector 26 by means of an adapter 33and the opposite end of which is connected with the lower verticalbranch I2 of the connector l2 by means of an adapter sleeve 34. 35denotes an expansion tube extending above the tube 10 and carried by a T36 the lower end of which is connected with the upper vertical branch 26of the connector 26 by means of an adapter 31. The 1311 1361 end of theT is provided with a safety valve It will be noted that the heater asthus described is extremely compact, is inexpensive of production,efficient in operation, and is capable of being carried without eifortto the room or compartment in which it is to be installed. It may beconveniently supported on the wall of such room by means of hooks 39 and40, the shanks whereof can be threaded into the wall or other support.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A heater oi the character described comprlsing an elongated tubularreceptacle for liquid provided With radiating members connected theretosubstantially throughout its length, a four-way connector having frontand rear horizontal branches and vertical branches and with the rear ofwhich horizontal branches the front end of the tubular receptacle isconnected, a plug connected with the front horizontal branch of the saidconnector, an electrical heating element carried by said plug andprojecting through the said connector and into the portion of thetubular receptacle connected with the rear horizontal branch of saidconnector, a plug detachably connect-ed to the upper of the verticalbranches of said connector, a switch box mounted upon a portion of theheater adjacent to the front end of the tubular receptacle, athermostatic element located within the portion of the tubularreceptacle adjacent to the connector, a switch-operating memberconnected with said element and mounted in the last mentioned plug andcommunicating with switch mechanism in the said switch boX, means forsupporting the rear end of the said tubular receptacle, and acirculating tube connected to and communicating with opposite ends ofthe said tubular receptacle.

2. In the heater recited in claim 1, the means for supporting the rearend of the tubular receptacle comprising a connector having a horizontalbranch with which the rear end of the tubular receptacle is connectedand having a downwardly extending branch with which the rear end of thecirculating tube is connected, and the first mentioned connector havinga lower vertical branch with which the front end of the circulating tubeis connected.

3. In the heater recited in claim 1, the means for supporting the rearend of the tubular receptacle comprising a connector having a horizontalbranch with which the rear end of the tubular receptacle is connectedand having a downwardly extending branch with which the rear end of thecirculating tube is connected and the first mentioned connector having alower vertical branch with which the front end of the circulating tubeis connected, the connector for the rear end of the tubular receptaclealso having an upper vertical branch, and an expansion tube connected toand communicating with th said last mentioned branch.

4. In the heater recited in claim 1, the means for supporting the rearend of the tubular receptacle comprising a connector having a horizontalbranch with which the rear end of the tubular receptacle is connectedand having a downwardly extending branch with which the rear end of thecirculating tube is connected and the first mentioned connector having alower vertical branch with which the front end of the circulating tubeis connected, and the connector to which the rear end of the tubularreceptacle is connected being provided with a rear horizontal branch,and an elbow comprising a horizontal portion detachably connected withsaid rear horizontal branch, said elbow having also a portion extendingvertically from its horizontal portion and provided with a removablefilling plug and a vent.

ELMER E. MAURER.

